Arday’s appointment as Cambridge’s youngest ever black professor at the age of 37 in 2023 was hailed at the time as a progressive moment.
Announcing his resignation last week, Arday said the “personal cost” of the scrutiny of him had become “too great”.
He said: “While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement.
“The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.”
He stressed that his resignation should not “be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me”.
Cambridge initially said claims of plagiarism regarding Arday’s thesis and some journal publications had been investigated by Liverpool John Moores University (LMJU) and the journals in question.
LJMU – which awarded Arday his PhD in 2015 – concluded that he had not plagiarised work.
Earlier this week, Cambridge announced an independent investigation into his appointment.
In a letter to university staff at the time, Prof Prentice said: “I fully understand the concerns being raised across the university and well beyond it, regarding Jason Arday’s appointment and I share them…
“That investigation, as you say, should be thorough and transparent, and will be carried out independently by senior academics from within and beyond Cambridge.”
Jolyon Maugham from campaign group Good Law Project said his death was “a tragedy”.
“I do not understand what the public interest was in continuing to hound him after he resigned as a professor and I do not understand what risk assessments media outlets did”, Maugham added.
Arday originally worked as a PE teacher before earning his doctorate at LMJU and going on to become an associate professor at Durham University and professor of sociology of education at the University of Glasgow.
Glasgow university also announced a review into Arday’s previous academic work.
When news of his death emerged, the university said in a statement it was “shocked and saddened” by the death of a former colleague.
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his friends and family at this desperately sad time.” it added.
Durham University, another of Arday’s former employers, described him as “a kind and warm person, who actively sought to promote opportunities for PhD students”.
Last weekend, Arday cancelled an event promoting his forthcoming memoir.
Publisher Simon & Schuster previously said that the book, Great And Unfortunate Things, would be published in the UK on 27 August. It was released in the US earlier this week.
The book tells the story of his life from being non-verbal until the age of 11 and unable to read or write until 18, then going through a series of “improbable triumphs and heartbreaking setbacks”, before being appointed professor of sociology of education at Cambridge.
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